Nine Dragons (painting) in the context of Chinese dragon

Chinese mythology (traditional Chinese: 中國神話; simplified Chinese: 中国神话; pinyin: Zhōngguó shénhuà) is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature throughout the area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology encompasses a diverse array of myths derived from regional and cultural traditions. Populated with engaging narratives featuring extraordinary individuals and beings endowed with magical powers, these stories often unfold in fantastical mythological realms or historical epochs. Similar to numerous other mythologies, Chinese mythology has historically been regarded, at least partially, as a factual record of the past.

Along with Chinese folklore, Chinese mythology forms an important part of Chinese folk religion and of religious Taoism. Many narratives recounting characters and events from ancient times exhibit a dual tradition: one that presents a more historicized or euhemerized interpretation, and another that offers a more mythological perspective.

Chen Rong (simplified Chinese: 陈容; traditional Chinese: 陳容; pinyin: Chén Róng; Wade–Giles: Ch'en Jung; c. 1200–1266) was a Chinese painter and politician of the Southern Song dynasty celebrated for his depictions of dragons. The Nine Dragons handscroll in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, bearing a date of 1244, is attributed to Chen. The Five Dragons handscroll in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, is also attributed to Chen Rong. A longer version of the Five Dragons, also attributed to Chen Rong, is in the Tokyo National Museum. Note that some scholars view the Five Dragons handscroll as the creation of a close follower, and not by Chen.

The Eleven Dragons painting in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art was formerly attributed to Chen Rong, but now is assigned to the Ming dynasty period. In March 2017, the Six Dragons handscroll, attributed to Chen Rong, was sold by Osaka's Fujita Art Museum at Christie's for almost $49 million.